RESUMO
Tandem DNA repeats are often organized into heterochromatin that is crucial for genome organization and stability. Recent studies revealed that individual repeats within tandem DNA repeats can behave very differently. How DNA repeats are assembled into distinct heterochromatin structures remains poorly understood. Here, we developed a genome-wide genetic screen using a reporter gene at different units in a repeat array. This screen led to identification of a conserved protein Rex1BD required for heterochromatin silencing. Our structural analysis revealed that Rex1BD forms a four-helix bundle structure with a distinct charged electrostatic surface. Mechanistically, Rex1BD facilitates the recruitment of Clr6 histone deacetylase (HDAC) by interacting with histones. Interestingly, Rex1BD also interacts with the 14-3-3 protein Rad25, which is responsible for recruiting the RITS (RNA-induced transcriptional silencing) complex to DNA repeats. Our results suggest that coordinated action of Rex1BD and Rad25 mediates formation of distinct heterochromatin structure at DNA repeats via linking RNAi and HDAC pathways.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Schizosaccharomyces pombe , Schizosaccharomyces , Interferência de RNA , Heterocromatina/genética , Heterocromatina/metabolismo , Proteínas de Schizosaccharomyces pombe/metabolismo , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolismo , Proteínas 14-3-3/genética , Proteínas 14-3-3/metabolismo , Histona Desacetilases/metabolismo , DNA/metabolismo , Sequências de Repetição em TandemRESUMO
The RNA binding protein Dri1 facilitates heterochromatin assembly via the RNAi pathway and histone deacetylases (HDAC). Dri1 contains an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) and three zinc fingers at its C-terminus, which are important for its role in heterochromatin silencing. Both IDR and zinc fingers have been implicated in mediating liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). In this study, we investigated the phase separation properties of Dri1. We observed that Dri1 undergoes phase separation in vitro . Dri1 also exhibits liquid-like behavior in vivo . Combined with our previous findings, our data support a model in which the phase-separated condensates formed by Dri1 may help recruit RNAi components and HDAC to mediate heterochromatin assembly.
RESUMO
Heterochromatin, a transcriptionally silenced chromatin domain, is important for genome stability and gene expression. Histone 3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) and histone hypoacetylation are conserved epigenetic hallmarks of heterochromatin. In fission yeast, RNA interference (RNAi) plays a key role in H3K9 methylation and heterochromatin silencing. However, how RNAi machinery and histone deacetylases (HDACs) are coordinated to ensure proper heterochromatin assembly is still unclear. Previously, we showed that Dpb4, a conserved DNA polymerase epsilon subunit, plays a key role in the recruitment of HDACs to heterochromatin during S phase. Here, we identified a novel RNA-binding protein Dri1 that interacts with Dpb4. GFP-tagged Dri1 forms distinct foci mostly in the nucleus, showing a high degree of colocalization with Swi6/Heterochromatin Protein 1. Deletion of dri1+ leads to defects in silencing, H3K9me, and heterochromatic siRNA generation. We also showed that Dri1 physically associates with heterochromatic transcripts, and is required for the recruitment of the RNA-induced transcriptional silencing (RITS) complex via interacting with the complex. Furthermore, loss of Dri1 decreases the association of the Sir2 HDAC with heterochromatin. We further demonstrated that the C-terminus of Dri1 that includes an intrinsically disordered (IDR) region and three zinc fingers is crucial for its role in silencing. Together, our evidences suggest that Dri1 facilitates heterochromatin assembly via the RNAi pathway and HDAC.
Assuntos
Montagem e Desmontagem da Cromatina/genética , Heterocromatina/metabolismo , Histonas/genética , Acetilação , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Cromatina/metabolismo , Proteínas Cromossômicas não Histona/genética , DNA Polimerase II/metabolismo , Heterocromatina/genética , Histona-Lisina N-Metiltransferase/metabolismo , Metilação , Interferência de RNA , RNA Interferente Pequeno/genética , Schizosaccharomyces/genética , Proteínas de Schizosaccharomyces pombe/genética , Proteínas de Schizosaccharomyces pombe/metabolismoRESUMO
Splicing factors have recently been shown to be involved in heterochromatin formation, but their role in controlling heterochromatin structure and function remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified a fission yeast homologue of human splicing factor RBM10, which has been linked to TARP syndrome. Overexpression of Rbm10 in fission yeast leads to strong global intron retention. Rbm10 also interacts with splicing factors in a pattern resembling that of human RBM10, suggesting that the function of Rbm10 as a splicing regulator is conserved. Surprisingly, our deep-sequencing data showed that deletion of Rbm10 caused only minor effect on genome-wide gene expression and splicing. However, the mutant displays severe heterochromatin defects. Further analyses indicated that the heterochromatin defects in the mutant did not result from mis-splicing of heterochromatin factors. Our proteomic data revealed that Rbm10 associates with the histone deacetylase Clr6 complex and chromatin remodelers known to be important for heterochromatin silencing. Deletion of Rbm10 results in significant reduction of Clr6 in heterochromatin. Our work together with previous findings further suggests that different splicing subunits may play distinct roles in heterochromatin regulation.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Schizosaccharomyces pombe , Schizosaccharomyces , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/metabolismo , Heterocromatina/genética , Histona Desacetilases/genética , Histona Desacetilases/metabolismo , Humanos , Proteômica , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Schizosaccharomyces/genética , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolismo , Proteínas de Schizosaccharomyces pombe/genética , Proteínas de Schizosaccharomyces pombe/metabolismoRESUMO
During DNA replication, chromatin is disrupted ahead of the replication fork, and epigenetic information must be restored behind the fork. How epigenetic marks are inherited through DNA replication remains poorly understood. Histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation and histone hypoacetylation are conserved hallmarks of heterochromatin. We previously showed that the inheritance of H3K9 methylation during DNA replication depends on the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase epsilon, Cdc20. Here we show that the histone-fold subunit of Pol epsilon, Dpb4, interacts an uncharacterized small histone-fold protein, SPCC16C4.22, to form a heterodimer in fission yeast. We demonstrate that SPCC16C4.22 is nonessential for viability and corresponds to the true ortholog of Dpb3. We further show that the Dpb3-Dpb4 dimer associates with histone deacetylases, chromatin remodelers, and histones and plays a crucial role in the inheritance of histone hypoacetylation in heterochromatin. We solve the 1.9-Å crystal structure of Dpb3-Dpb4 and reveal that they form the H2A-H2B-like dimer. Disruption of Dpb3-Dpb4 dimerization results in loss of heterochromatin silencing. Our findings reveal a link between histone deacetylation and H3K9 methylation and suggest a mechanism for how two processes are coordinated during replication. We propose that the Dpb3-Dpb4 heterodimer together with Cdc20 serves as a platform for the recruitment of chromatin modifiers and remodelers that mediate heterochromatin assembly during DNA replication, and ensure the faithful inheritance of epigenetic marks in heterochromatin.